Perry to Time magazine: ‘I’m very calm in my heart that this is what I’m supposed to be doing’

Rick Perry says being Texas governor is the best job in the nation, but he decided to run for president 45 days ago. (AP photo)

Gov. Rick Perry, in an interview with Mark Halperin published on Time’s Web site, said the issue of whether he would run for president was dealt with 45 days ago and added, “I’m very calm in my heart that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Although the Texas governor said he has “the best job in America,” he changed his mind about a possible presidential race after a discussion with his wife Anita and now has reached “a comfort level” about his path ahead.

The interview comes ahead of a South Carolina speech that Perry has signaled would be the forum for him making clear he’s running for president.

The Time package includes a video highlight headlined, “Perry says he has decided he wants to be president.”

In the interview, Perry answered a broad range of questions ranging from how he’d approach the job of president to whether he’d campaign in California to his views on foreign affairs. He also said he’d spoken to former President George W. Bush about running.

Here’s an excerpt:

MH: Part of what the process involves now is whether you can raise enough money. Can you get to the early states enough? But part of it must be, I assume, whether you want to do it still.
RP: Right, right.

MH: Right, is that still an open question?
RP: We’re having that conversation. I mean, you and I having this conversation has answered that question.

MH: About whether you want to run?
RP: Sure. I mean I wouldn’t be this far into the process…

MH: So you went from a few months ago, being totally uninterested…
RP: No, I got the best job in America, to today, being fully engaged in this process of making a decision. The issue of, “is this what I want to do?” was dealt with about 45 days ago in a conversation with my wife. Prior to that, no. Being the President of the United States was not on my radar screen from the standpoint of something I want to do.

MH: Does any aspect of running for President intimidate you?
RP: No.

MH: Does any aspect of it excite you or enthuse you?
RP: Yeah. I’m kind of getting to the haul-in point and the idea that, this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I mean, this is starting to get to that comfort level and I’ve got the calmness in my heart. I think that was a bit of a hurdle initially, but I’m very calm in my heart that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.

Halperin, who is an editor at large for Time, got headlines earlier this year when in his role as MSNBC senior political analyst he called President Obama “a dick” on television and apologized. He also is co-author of a book on John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign that was scathing in its portrayal of Sarah Palin, a potential Perry primary rival in 2012.